The 5:2 diet: a little fasting, a lot of feasting

It seems that everyone I've met over the past few weeks is on the 5:2 diet. For some it's old news – their flat stomachs and radiant faces simply a way of life at this point, others are tentatively dipping their toes in the water. I've just ended the second week and I'm enjoying it a lot, and I'm convinced by its health benefits for the whole system, not just the diminuendo of the creak on the bathroom scales.

In a (low calorie) nutshell: you fast for two days and feast for five. On the fast days you eat no more than 600 calories (500 for women) and on the feast days you can eat whatever you like. It's simple, flexible (any two days which are not consecutive are fine) and effective … and fun, because the feast days are carefree and there's always another one to look forward to at every hungry, fasting moment.
I wasn't looking to reduce drastically my weight although I was disappointed when packing for my last American tour in January that the top button on the jeans I was hoping to take with me failed to meet its intended hole. But I like the idea of a bi-weekly detox, and the science behind resting the system is pretty convincing. There is increasing evidence from researchers that intermittent fasting helps repair cells which could help us avoid cancer and Alzheimer's; and I also like the connection with how humans lived for most of our history – hunting and foraging in hunger, then feasting with the results, not constant nibbling on packaged foods without interval.

This book is recommended as a friendly guide, but I should point out that a doctor's advice is highly recommended if you have any medical condition.